Agricultural Sciences (BS)

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Program Website

Program Description

Cornell University ranks consistently in the top five institutions for agricultural sciences, offering a flexible major that adapts to your career goals through focus areas such as animal science, agri-business management and policy, sustainable cropping systems and soil health management.  Your journey begins with a collaborative first-semester cohort course developing essential critical thinking skills, followed by hands-on laboratory and field experiences that reinforce classroom learning while exploring agricultural systems, environmental impacts, and related socioeconomic factors.

Agricultural Sciences at Cornell: A STEM-Focused Approach

Our Agricultural Sciences program delivers a STEM-based curriculum that integrates biology, chemistry, and data science with flexible, interdisciplinary training. Students develop scientific problem-solving skills to address critical challenges—from optimizing family farm operations to advancing careers in agricultural research, biotechnology, and sustainable systems engineering.

Positioned at the heart of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the major leverages our public-private research university's cutting-edge laboratories and computational resources. Our program attracts academically diverse students, providing a strong scientific foundation while allowing specialization through focused electives that prepare graduates for careers requiring advanced technical expertise in modern agricultural and food systems.

Declaring the Major

  • The major does not have any prerequisites for those matriculating as first-year students. However, general science coursework at the high school level, especially in biology and chemistry, will better prepare students for the life sciences coursework in this major.

  • While there are no prerequisite courses before declaring the Agricultural Sciences major, transfer students should have one full academic year of Intro to Biology with labs, one College Writing/English Composition or Public Speaking course and one semester of Statistics. Transfer students who do meet these requirements should contact the undergraduate program coordinator to review possible pathways to the major.

  • To discuss interests, goals, and requirements, prospective majors should contact the undergraduate major coordinator.

Double Majors

Cornell students are not allowed to double major across colleges.  Students are not allowed to continue their studies past their eighth (or equivalent) semester to complete additional majors or minors.  Students who pursue a second major must choose a major within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. 

Agricultural Science students can double count a maximum of 12 credits between their two CALS majors. The introductory disciplinary courses (biology, chemistry, physics, and statistics) are allowed to be shared between programs and do not count towards the 12-credit maximum. 

CALS students who fit one or more of the following conditions are ineligible to double major in Agricultural Sciences:

  • Current junior or seniors
  • Plant Sciences majors

If you do not qualify for the Agricultural Sciences double major, consider adding a SIPS minor, particularly Crop Management or Soil Science.

Minors

Agricultural Sciences majors are not allowed to double count courses used to satisfy major requirements towards completing a minor.

Facilities

World-Class Agricultural Learning Environment

As a college-wide interdisciplinary major, Agricultural Sciences leverages Cornell's exceptional diversity of agricultural facilities. Students gain hands-on experience through immersive field trips and laboratory sessions across our extensive campus resources.

In addition to Ithaca-based research facilities, students engage with cutting-edge research at Cornell AgriTech's 900-acre Geneva campus, where over 300 acres of research plots support breakthrough discoveries in crop production, protection, and food systems. They can work alongside faculty in the Animal Science Teaching and Research Center, with its dairy complex housing 700+ cattle, specialized equine facilities, and sheep and swine units across 2,300 acres of managed land.

These exceptional facilities provide Agricultural Sciences students with unparalleled opportunities for experiential learning in both traditional and emerging agricultural disciplines.